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The continued rise of Instagram-influenced yoga has led to a new wave of criticism among East-Indians and academics alike. Accusations of cultural appropriation are being levied just as long-held myths are being debunked. Many earnest practitioners find themselves confused by the discord between what they see and read in the media and the experience they have of Yoga in their lives.

I traveled to India in 1998. I spent three months there. I did not go to study or stay in an ashram. I went with no plan. Just a backpack, a Let’s Go travel guide, and the hope that somewhere along the journey I might gain insight enough to decide whether or not to continue Yoga as a life path or seek another direction formy livelihood. I had only one condition: stay off of the tourist track. And I definitely learned something important about Yoga from my time in India. Things I could never have learned from my previous two years of practice and training in New York City.

Aspects of yoga seemed to pervade the culture of India, in stark contrast to Yoga’s obscure status back home in the US. I remember a conversation with a rare English-speaking local and the realization that many of my friends in NY who were attending Kirtan regularly and, on some level considered themselves devotees of Kali, would never be permitted in the Kali temple in India. No amount of chanting or sari and bindi-wearing can get around the fact of one’s birth or the view commonly held in India that one cannot convert to Hinduism. I also remember how many times I sought out the local teacher of a small village only to discover a string of frauds and touts, capitalizing on the naivete of tourists.

There is a renewed and legitimate debate happening over whether or not westerners have a right to take ownership of yoga in the ways that we have.

Even among westerners, there is a feeling that something is not right about a twenty-something blond girl with a large Instagram following saying “Namaste” to promote her lifestyle brand. Then, you have folks likeDavid Gordon White and other scholars who, in response to all the hype and co-opting, are uncovering untold truths about the history of yoga that have previously been shrouded in lore and mystery. Throw in the rampant commercialization and use of yoga as a marketing demographic across the globe and we end up with a whole lot of questions and sour grapes.

I’m having conversations with talented yoga teachers who are questioning whether to abandon teaching altogether. They are feeling like they don’t fit into what “yoga” has become. They are even embarrassed to tell people that they are yoga teachers because they don’t want to be associated with what people think of yoga teachers outside inner yoga circles. I am also being confronted with a storm of comments on Facebook calling into question my associations and accusing me of being part of an imperialist takeover of Yoga’s indigenous roots.

Truth is, yoga was first marketed and sold to the west by the same venerated teachers that are now cited as the only vestiges of authentic tradition.

The use of yoga to promote or sell things is nothing new. Mr Iyengar had students perform on Martha Stewart to promote his book sales. Mr. Pattabhi Jois travelled around the world conducting large-scale yoga events, same as the yoga celebrities of today. These guys were selling yoga just as much as they were practicing and teaching it. Granted, they were of Indian descent. Maybe that gives them more of a right to monetize yoga. But is it really that different? Or are we merely experiencing the results of macro changes in technology and economics?

I was taught that in order for my yoga to be authentic it needs to adapt to my individual needs and be specific to my cultural background. But perhaps there is a point where the practice is taken so far away from its origins that it ceases to be true to what it is. When does something become true to you but not to where you got it from? Unless, of course, you are of the view that the intention is for it to be true to the individual and not to any particular teacher, tradition or ideal.

Krishnamacharya did what he had to do to make a way for himself and his family. This takes nothing away from the gifts he has given to countless human beings.

Regardless of where we might land on the cultural appropriation and commercialization of yoga, there are people across the world who, by themselves and gathering in small and big groups, are doing breathing and moving exercises. They are doing this not as merely a form of fitness, but as a vital part of their self-care. The experiences they are having are genuinely helpful. These practices are often pivotal in people making changes in themselves and their lives that are deeply meaningful and important.

Another remembrance from my time in India is that some things are universal and transcend cultures. The gesture of placing my hands together in prayer at my chest, sometimes referred to as “Namaste”, was like an express-pass to shared humanity. I’ve found this true in other parts of the world I have traveled to as well. Simple and undeniable is the thread of wonder that runs through all beings. No amount of capitalism or appropriation can touch the warmth and love we know in our hearts.

Am I Misappropriating Yoga? was last modified: November 21st, 2015 by J Brown

Statistic show that Americans are working harder, for longer hours, and are more productive than ever. Yet, few are getting ahead and most are grateful if they can just make ends meet. As stress-related illnesses account for an increasing number of doctor visits, the call to slow down and unplug has gotten louder. But juggling the demands of worldly life can often end up at odds with being attentive to our individual needs. Sometimes, knowing where to best make the trade-off is all we can do.

I’m often saying to people in my class that it doesn’t matter where you end up. Certainly true when it comes to a yoga asana. And on some level, I feel the same way about my broader life situation too. If I really step back for a moment then I can see that, on a macro level, there is much to life that is passing and I have no way of knowing what is going to happen. Attempting to overly control outcomes tends to bring disappointment more than the desired results.

But with some things, it does kind of matter where you end up, doesn’t it? Like if I end up not being able to pay my rent, that is going to matter. A lot. And if I neglect myself to a point of ill health, well that’s definitely going to matter too. So, it’s not enough to just suggest that it doesn’t matter. Or that there is some sort of easy way to solve the problems that arise when you are trying to enjoy your life while facing unreasonable circumstances. And let there be no mistake about it, the conditions we are living under are entirely unreasonable. Even within our privileged status, where we are not starving or in want of a roof over our head, we carry overwhelming burdens that are not inherent to life, but forged in a consumer economy.

Work is no longer tied to time and place.

In some ways, I am living the American dream. I am my own boss. I make my own hours. I do work that I find personally fulfilling. And a lot of what I am able to do is because of the new technology that has developed in the last ten years. I can run the daily operations of my business, order all necessary supplies, launch marketing campaigns and do my accounting all remotely from the phone in my pocket. You’d think that these technologies might give me more free time. But along with these digital advancements has also come the expectation of quicker action. There are a lot of pertinent communications that affect my business that are time-sensitive. If I shut my phone off and a teacher on staff has a last minute emergency then I end up with annoyed people standing out on the street thinking they need to find a new yoga center.

Now that everything is moving into a 24/7 information cloud, it is becoming more difficult to secure time away from work. It is not just a matter of discipline, but sacrifice. My personal need to unplug has to be weighed against the ramifications of not being immediately available to the demands of my responsibilities. Granted, this could easily be a justification for being a workaholic. But it’s not accurate to say that I can just unplug if I want to. Things could easily go bad quickly if I were to shut off my interfaces without contingency planning.

Nothing hard in life has ever been overcome in three simple steps.

Compounding the stress of our new world is a barrage of advertising for easy answers to complex situations. I sure wish there were a yoga pose that could secure me an extra twelve hours a day, or that if I were to eat enough turmeric my rent would go down, but this is not the case. I often feel like I’m juggling. Like I have a few too many balls in the air and I’m struggling to keep from dropping them. I mentioned this once to someone who happened to be a professional juggler and he said: “Well, do you want to know the key to being a master juggler? Knowing when to let the balls drop.”

Regardless of any inner states of contentment I may be able to bring about in myself through practice, whatever beliefs I may hold, my dreams are still inherently tied to economics and mores. The things I am looking to grow or sustain, any ideas I hope might come to fruition, can only happen if I am here in the midst of the storm. Playing my part. Only then will I ever be in a position to appreciate any calm that might come later. And maybe this calm I imagine will never come. Perhaps my life will just continue to feel like I have too much to do until I die.

I don’t know if life has always felt like such a hustle. But it often does now. Fortunately, it doesn’t always feel that way. There are times when I am able to relax enough that these concerns recede. Where I can feel that I am a whole being, with all of my trials, having my life. And that is enough. I need not seek for a fleeting happiness. Instead, I gently cling to the thin thread of joy that runs through.

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Shayne Traviss

Sometime's growth involves digging up the dirt and planting anew...
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Founded by Shayne Traviss formerly VividLife.me was an online resource for personal growth through over 10,000 blogs, audio conversations and videos, from thought leaders, best-selling authors and wellness experts from around the globe. VividLife.me provided engaging conversations on consciousness and human potential with Arianna Huffington, Jane Fonda and Alanis Morrissette, wisdom packed blogs from spiritual Icons Iyanla Vanzant and Ram Dass, Green Tips from David Suzuki’s Queen of Green, Advice from Award Winning Parenting and Relationships Experts, Recipes from Vegetarian, Vegan, Raw Chef’s and more… and reached and inspired over 3 million people around the globe.
However sometime's growth involves digging up the dirt and planting anew...
And after over 20 years of marketing, promoting and producing others Shayne Traviss decided to open a new chapter in his life.
If you long to go higher, live a life 'all in' join him as he dives in deep sharing his life experiences, travels and inspirations for living a VividLife.